The group was quite heterogeneous - ages from 19 to 92, with 55 males and 22 females. The primary causes for their amputations were: 31 patients had diabetes; 29 had peripheral vascular disease; 14 experienced trauma; and the others were diagnosed with tumors.

Results were: 84% healed primarily; only 31 patients were fitted with prostheses; and 22 of the 27 who were ambulatory prior to surgery were able to resume walking with the use of their prosthesis.

Care should be used when evaluating this paper due to the study's many variables, the large number of potential co-morbidities, the status of patients prior to surgery, and the ages of patients at the time of the amputations.

Donald G. Shurr, CPO, PT

Determination of normal thoracic kyphosis: a roentgenographic study of 121 normal children
Edward H. Doseker, M.D., John H. Moe, M.D., Robert B. Winter, M.D., and Steven E. Koop, M.D.; Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Volume 20, Number 6, pages 796-798, 2000.

This study included 121 normal children and adolescents, ages 5 to 19 years, who underwent orthopaedic roentgenographic examination to determine the normal ranges of thoracic kyphosis. These films were taken by experienced technologists and in positions carefully controlled by the senior author. The Cobb method of measurement was used on all films. The end vertebrae were those most tilted from the horizontal.

The mean thoracic kyphosis of the 121 subjects was 33 degrees, ranging from 17 degrees to 51 degrees. There were no statistical differences between males and females or between various age groups. The kyphosis extended from T2 to T12 in 49% of the subjects.

These numbers compare closely with other published papers. Using two standard deviations from the mean as the definition of normal, a range of 20 to 50 degrees was identified.

Donald G. Shurr, CPO, PT

Winter 2001 index